After 20 years, Celtic rockers still have a lot to say

After more than 20 years together and 14 albums, Black 47, a New York based Celtic rock band, still has a lot to say.

"Where did the time go?" front man Larry Kirwan mused.

Black 47 plays between 100-125 gigs a year and gets particularly busy around St. Patrick's Day.

"We're a working band," Kirwan said, "and we find our own way the more we play together."

A
Black 47 show is like a big party where the band blends elements of
punk, hard-rock, traditional Irish music and even hip-hop. Their latest
songs get tested out during concerts.

"The truth is that this band always plays better when we have a new album out; it's just more fun on stage," Kirwan said.

The new album, "Bankers and Gangsters," is a departure from their last album, "IRAQ," a concept album about soldiers in Iraq.

"I
was free to let my mind wander on this one," Kirwan said. "I really
wanted to feature the band on this album and try to capture our live
sound."

Kirwan said that the album was recorded in two days.
"We're a live band," he said. "We play the song once or twice in the
studio and that's it."

Kirwan produces and hosts Celtic Crush for SiriusXM Satellite Radio, and he pines for the early rock n' roll days.

"I
find it hard to listen to the radio anymore," he said. "I can't
remember the last time I turned it on and was floored by what I heard.
Everything's so polished now. There was a time when you'd turn on the
radio and you'd hear rock n' roll; you might hear a few mistakes, but
there was a spark there."

"The
subject matter of the songs is disparate," Kirwan said, "but there is a
unifying theme in the sound — there's a lot of loud brass on this one."

The
lyrics and album art show Kirwan's sense of humor. "There was some
black humor on IRAQ, but there's definitely more humor on Bankers.
These financial guys messed up so many people's lives. I just wanted to
bring some bit of humor about it all."

Kirwan who grew up in
Ireland but has been living in New York since 1975, writes constantly.
In addition to "Bankers and Gangsters," his third book, titled "Rockin'
The Bronx," was published a week after the CD release. The book's
central characters come from a Black 47 song, "Blind Mary/Her Dear Old
Donegal (Sleep Tight in New York City)."

"Blind Mary" is about a
young man in Ireland whose girlfriend has moved to the Bronx and is
living there under shady and mysterious circumstances.

"The book
is about the guy coming to the Bronx to look for her and what he finds
when he gets there," Kirwan said. "It's set in the North Bronx between
1980-1982, when there was a large population of Irish living there."

The story, as many of Kirwan's stories are, was inspired by actual events.

"There
used to be 20 to 30 bars within a quarter-of-a-mile radius in that
section of the city. I did four one-hour sets a night there. I knew
that setting very well. It was a vibrant time."

If You Go

Black
47 will perform at 6:30 p.m. March 14 at the World Cafe Live in
Philadelphia. Tickets cost $21-$31. For more information, call
215-222-1400 or visit www.black47.com